Lighting installation & upgrades

What lighting installation and upgrades include

We install and replace ceiling fixtures, pendants, chandeliers, wall sconces, under-cabinet lights, and ceiling fans with lights. We also install switches, dimmers, and multi-location switching for stairs and long hallways. If a room has no ceiling light, such as a basement, closet, or bedroom with a switched outlet, we can add one.

If you want to cut lighting energy use, switching to LED is the main step. The U.S. Department of Energy says residential LEDs, especially ENERGY STAR rated products, use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting. Older dimmers are not always compatible with LED lamps, so we match the dimmer to the fixture to prevent flicker and buzzing.

When a fixture swap turns into wiring work

Many lighting jobs start as a simple swap and turn up problems behind the canopy. Common ones are a missing ground wire, brittle older insulation, a loose or undersized box, and connections that show heat damage. We repair these before we hang the new fixture.

Heavy fixtures and ceiling fans need the right support. The electrical code requires a ceiling box used only for lighting to be listed to support a fixture up to 50 pounds, and a ceiling-suspended paddle fan needs a box listed for fan support. If your new fixture is heavier or your box is not rated for a fan, we replace the box or add bracing.

For new work, the code also calls for at least one wall-switched lighting outlet in every habitable room, in hallways, and at exterior doors with access to grade. Interior stairways need a wall switch at each floor level. If you are tired of pull chains or lamps on switched outlets, we can wire switched ceiling lights.

Permits, inspection, and who can do the work

Minnesota law requires electrical work to be done by a licensed electrician working for a licensed electrical contractor. There is one narrow exception: a homeowner may personally do electrical work on a home they own and live in, if that home has its own electric service not shared with another dwelling.

State law also requires new electrical installations, including remodeling, replacement, and repair work, to be inspected. Minor repair work, as defined by rule, is excepted. Depending on your address, the inspection authority is either the state or your city. When your job needs a permit, we file it and schedule the inspection.

Do not open your electrical panel or add circuits for new lighting yourself. Turn off the circuit and call right away if a switch or fixture feels hot, you smell burning, you see sparks, a switch buzzes, or lights flicker across the house. For urgent problems, use our 24/7 emergency electrical service.

How a lighting job works with Krinkie's

Call 651-488-5555 or request service online. A licensed electrician walks through the rooms with you, checks the existing boxes, switches, and circuits, and explains the work before it starts. We install the fixtures, test each one, and clean up. Our technicians are background-checked and drug-tested.

If you want new can lights in a ceiling, see our page on recessed lighting installation.

Signs you need lighting work

• Lights flicker or dim when an appliance turns on
• A room depends on lamps or a pull chain for light
• You want to replace incandescent or older fixtures with LED
• A switch, dimmer, or fixture feels warm or buzzes
• You plan to hang a heavier fixture or a ceiling fan
• LED bulbs flicker on your existing dimmer

Common questions

Sources

• U.S. Department of Energy — LED Lighting
• City of Saint Paul DSI — Electrical checklist, dwelling unit rough-in (2023 NEC)
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 — Electrical licenses (incl. owner exemption, subd. 21)
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.36 — Electrical inspections
• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry — Electrical permits for homeowners
• UL — 8 signs you may have a problem with your electrical wiring